Caribou to test emergency warning system on July 14

CARIBOU, Maine — Fire Chief Roy Woods has announced that the Caribou Emergency Management Agency will test the City Alert and Warning System at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 14.

“This will be a 15-second test of the equipment, which would be used to alert Caribou citizens in the downtown area to take cover, in the event of a hurricane, tornado or other major emergency situations which would put the general public in danger,” stated Woods, who is also director of the emergency management agency. “In the case of a real emergency, members of the EMA would also be putting an alert and warning out to all television, radio and weather alert stations. Caribou police officers and members of the fire department would also be out in their vehicles traveling the streets using loudspeakers instructing individuals to seek shelter.”

“We sincerely hope that people are thinking about where they would go, if indeed the city was faced with one of these emergency situations,” Woods said. “You know the old saying, ‘Don’t put your head in the sand’ — well don’t believe that these types of events would never happen in our area.”

According to Woods, the city has plans for designated shelter operations at the Teague Park Elementary School and at the Caribou United Baptist Church, if necessary.

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Chief Woods encourages all citizens to maintain an emergency shelter kit that should include items such as water; a radio with extra batteries; canned food and a manual can opener; blankets; matches; a way to prepare food without electricity; necessary medications secured in a sealable bag; spare eye glasses; and other items individuals may feel they would need for several days.

“We hope we never need these systems,” stated Woods, “but to be prepared, we must test them at least once a year.”